The Disabled Veterans Business Alliance selected Ironwood State Prison (ISP) as this year’s recipient of the M.K. Madding Award for the prison’s efforts to increase the work it does with disabled-veteran owned businesses.

The award is named after a former warden at Avenal State Prison who pioneered CDCR’s efforts to exceed the “3 percent goal established in statute for Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE) contracting and procurement,” the alliance states.

“Through the leadership of Warden Neil McDowell, the procurement and contracting team in ISP’s Procurement Office have made significant strides in DVBE contracting over the past four years,” according to the alliance. “ISP staff focus on meeting and exceeding the standard practices.”